PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 30 - The Washington Nationals defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in a fiery contest on Friday night to start this three-game weekend series. Jake Irvin took the mound and allowed six runs over 5.0 innings, but still got the win as the offense exploded early and often for their third straight victory.

Irvin had a rough outing, as he struggled early despite having a two-run lead in the first inning. Corbin Carroll led off with a double, and he was immediately driven in after walking the next hitter. A ground out then scored another run, before an Eugenio Suarez single scored the third of the inning. Pavin Smith then drove in one of his own to make it a four-run first inning. Irvin bounced back with a scoreless second, before allowing a string of hits in the third to score the fifth and sixth runs. He managed to make it through two more innings without a scratch, finishing with 10 hits, six runs, a walk, and no strikeouts.

Typically, when a starter surrenders six over 5.0 innings, they will not get the win. However, some timely offense got it done before he was relieved by Andrew Chafin, who threw a scoreless frame with two punch outs. Brad Lord then threw two stressful, but quiet innings while striking out three to get the ball to Kyle Finnegan. Looking for the save, he gave up a run, but kept things quiet to shut the door and earn the team their third straight win.

Offensively, the Nationals attacked early and often, just as they had in Seattle earlier this week. CJ Abrams and James Wood both went down to start the game, but a Nathaniel Lowe single started a chain of events that led to a Robert Hassell III RBI hit to score two runs. In the third, Wood hit a solo shot, and after a Lowe walk and a Luis Garcia Jr. single, Josh Bell went yard for a three-run homer to give the Nats a 6-4 lead. The sixth inning saw a weird sequence with two outs where Lowe singled to score Abrams and Jose Tena, but Wood was tagged out on the play between second and third to end the inning. Luckily, it did not matter as the team took an 8-6 lead to put Irvin in line for the win. Hassell got another RBI in the eighth, scoring Garcia Jr., but at that point the team felt they had the game in the bag as the bullpen was lights out.

Up next…

The Nats have two more games this weekend in Arizona. At 10:10 EST tomorrow night, Michael Soroka will face off against Brandon Pfaadt in game two as the team looks to win its fourth straight game out west.